Adjustable high and low pressure switch alarm



Nov. 4, 1930. w. c. ELLIOTT ET AL, 1,780,179

ADJUSTABLE HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE SWITCH ALARM Filed July 3, 1928 3 0-: :E i L15. ll 8M g 9/T 5% I k J 5 4 CL M 2*- 5 2 5? FIG. I. F|G.2.

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,Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. HJLIOTT OF MINGO, AND EARL S. HENRY, OF MEDFORD, OKLAHOMA ADJUSTABLE HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE SWITCH ALARM Application filed JulyB, 1928.

Our invention relates to improvement in adjustable alarms for electric switches controlled and operated by the pressure of oil, liquids or gases, and are especially adapted for use for alarms and for starters and stoppers of various devices in which electric circuit breakers can be used; and may be used with gas, ether, air, steam and liquids.

The principal objects of our invention are to provide a device of this character which will operate to sound or make an alarm on an electric circuit due to high pressure within a chamber provided with double diaphragms; which will operate to sound or make an alarm on closing the circuit when the pressure decreases but will again sound the alarm on closing the circuit when the pressure within the said chamber'is low; a device-which is very sensitive to slight changes of pressure;

which can be adjusted to operate at any desired pressure; a device which will operate positively and efficiently wherever an oil pressure switch is needed; a device which, on account of its two diaphragms, will prove more 5 sensitive than similar devices now in use; which will have double the moving space of any other alarm device; to provide a device of this character which is'simple, novel, new, inexpensive, strong, durable, reliable and of 39 utility; which. consists of few parts; which cannot easily get out of order, and which is eficient for the purposes for which it is intended; which will operate as an alarm on tanks and notify of the time for starting and stopping pumps, and may be used for such purpose with steam, water, gas, oil and other liquids.

With these and other objects in view our invention consists of the construction, novel features and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing and specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto appended. It is to be understood that the draw ings are merely for illustrative purposes to set forth the principles of operation and are not to be considered as restrictive; and that various changes in the form, proportion, size, weight, shape and minor construction details within the scope of our invention may be re- Serial No. 290,237.

sorted to without departing from the spirit or principle of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

In connection with Water supply, when standpipes or elevated tanks are used for storage and to furnish pressure head, it is necessary to provide some means for automatically stopping the electric motor operating the pump when the said tank is full or has reached some predetermined level also to provide a means for automatically starting the pump when the tank is empty or has reached some desired level Said stopping and starting necessitates the presence of some one on the job at all times, or if they are absent, the stopping may occur and the necessity for the starting may occur without the knowledge of anyone. With our improved oil pressure switch an alarm and notice for the need of both. of these operations are performed with the same simple device. It consists of a supporting frame 1, a pressure chamber 2, composed of a short section of a com aratively large hollow cylinder 3 supported by the set-screws 4 and locked to frame 1 by the nuts 5. Diaphragms 6 are hermetically sealed to the open ends of the cylinder 3 as shown at 7. Self-adjusting pressure plates 8 bear against the diaphragms 6 and are in hinged connection at 9 with movable arms 10 and 11. Arm 10 is provided with yoke 12 in which is housed adjustable bolt 13 and compression spring 14; this spring holds the pressure plates 8 se curely in contact with the diaphragms 6. Supported by the movable arm 10 are the positive electrical contact points 15 and 16. The negative electrical contact points 17 and 18 are attached to rod 19 in hinged connection 20 with movable arm 11. By means of nuts 21-contact points 17 and 18 may be adjustably spaced on rod 19. Positive electrical current is carried by the wires 22, and wires 23 provide ground return. Rod 19 passes freely through hole 24 in arm 10 but 100 the oil, liquid or gas under pressure must pass before reaching pressure chamber 2. This serves to protect the diaphragms 6 against sudden fluctuations of pressure in the supply pipe 30 and allows the contents of the said pressure chamber 2 to escape gradually when the pressure in pipe 30 is released. It is not intended to operate this device in connection with a high voltage current or heavy 'load but if it is desirable in order to protect the contact points 15, 16, 17 and 18 a ainst a flash-over or electric arc, there mayI inserted in the line a standard circuit reaker and magnetic switch device now in common use for this purpose.

In operation our device may be described as follows: It will be observed that arms 10 and 11 are loosely anchored or may be hinged at their upper ends as shown at 25, and their lower ends are permitted to expand under high pressure by reason of the uniform expansion of the dual diaphragms 6; the expansion adjustment is controlled by regulating yoke 12, bolt 13 and spring 14, by tightening or loosening bolt 13 in said yoke 12. This causes the throw of said arms 10 and 11 to be increased or decreased as desired; after the setting of 12, 13 and 14 for use of high pressure, contact point 15 is raised to a predetermined desired position and contacting. point 17 is set thereat by nuts 21 and there left. Contacting point 15 is permitted to recede therefrom until the high pressure causes it again to be expanded until contact points 15 and 17 unite, thereby sounding or maln'ng an alarm.

In working under a low pressure contacting point 16 is lowered to a point of a predetermined position, and contacting point 18 is there set by nuts 21 and there left; contacting point 16 is then permitted to recede for raising or lowering. When the pressure thereafter is sufliciently lowered contacting points 16 and 18 thereby unite and cause the sounding or making of an alarm The sounding and making of such alarms may be transmitted by suitable wires to any given point where the notice is best suited to be given.

Having thus described our invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a three part union having therewithin perforated baflie plate means for controlling the sudden fluctuating pressures into and out of a pressure chamber, a pressure chamber having an opening connecting with said union, and having oppositely disposed side diaphragms hermetically sealed longitudinally of said chamber, said diaphragms being adapted for expanding and contracting upon a perforation in said second arm; said attaching rod being adapted for anchoring a high and a low contacting'point with said second arm therebetween, said second arm having a high and a low contact-ing point respectively on its sides, said high contacting points being adapted to close an electric circuit upon the occurrence "of a predetermined position, and to break said circuit in all other positions, and said low contacting points being adapted to close an electric circuit upon the occurrence of a predetermined position, and to break said circuit in all other positions.

2. In combination, a three-part union having a perforated baflie plate means therewithin for controlling sudden fluctuating pressures into and out of a pressure chamber, with a pressure chamber comprising a short section of a comparatively large hollow cylinder, oppositely disposed diaphragms closing the open ends of the said'cylinder, means for hermetically sealing the said diaphragms in said cylinder, means for closing an ele'c: trical circuit under a certain high pressure position and opening it under all others, and means for closing a second electric circuit under a certain low pressure position and opening it under all other positions.

3. In a device of the class described, comprising a supporting frame for a hollow cylinder, diaphragms hermetically sealed into the open ends of said cylinder forming a pressure chamber, a pressure pipe connecting said pressure chamber, perforated bafile plate means in said pipe for controlling sudden fluctuating pressures into and out of said' pressure chamber, self-adjusting pressure plate in bearing contact with the expanding faces of the said diaphragms, laterally movable supporting arms in hinged connection with the said pressure plates and means for hingedly connecting the said arms to the supporting frame, and means for closing a second electric circuit. under certain high pressure position and opening it under all others, means for closing an electric circuit and position and opening it under all other positions.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a with a plurality of diaphragms mounted between SeIf-ad usting pressure plates in hinged relation with laterally movable supporting arms, between the said arms, means for holdmg under a certain low pressure the said pressure plates in contact with the expanding faces of the said diaphragms, andmeans for hingedly connecting the said arms to the supportmg frame, and means for closing an e ectric circuit under both high and low pressure in a predetermined position, openin itunder all other positions. 5. In a fevice of the class described, laterally movable supporting arms so hinged to a supportin frame that a small amount of expansion and contraction of a diaphragms mounted between the said arms causes an increased amount of lateral movement at the free ends of the said arms, double positive electrical contact oints mounted on the free end of one of tlie said arms and double negative electrical contact points mounted on the free end of the other of the said arms, means for closing an electric circuit when the said diaphragms are at their maximum or their mimmum expansion, and means for breakin said electrical circuit when the said diap ragms are at any intermediate point between their maximum and minimum expansion.

' WILLIAM C. ELLIOTT.

EARL S. HENRY.

pressure chamber provided a compression spring mounted plurality of 

